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For Immediate Release
Oct. 15, 2009
Men's Basketball Prepares for canadian exhibition trip
EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka College men’s basketball team will participate in its first foreign exhibition tour in program history when the Red Devils depart Thursday evening for a three-game weekend exhibition trip in Ontario, Canada. The Red Devils will play the University of Guelph, the University of Western Ontario and St. Clair College during the weekend trip.
After making a brief stop in Rochester, Mich. late Thursday, the Red Devils will arrive in Guelph, Ontario Friday afternoon for a 6 p.m. CST contest against Guelph. The Gryphons, who beat NCAA Division I member Chattanooga last month, are playing a total of five home exhibition games this fall. Following Friday’s game, the Red Devils will depart on a 90-minute trip for London, Ontario to play Western Ontario Saturday at 1 p.m. CST. The final leg of Eureka’s Canadian tour comes Sunday when Eureka visits Windsor, Ontario to play St. Clair at noon CST. The Red Devils will return to Eureka late Sunday night.
Third-year head coach Chip Wilde welcomes back a trio of starters from last season in senior forward Michael Zasada (McHenry, Ill./McHenry H.S.), senior guard Kameron Bell (Clinton, Ill./Clinton H.S./Carl Sandburg) and sophomore guard Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./Chrisman H.S.).
Zasada averaged a team-high 14.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season to earn All-SLIAC First Team honors as a junior. In addition to his solid inside presence, Zasada made 41 three-point field goals last season, shooting a team-best 40.6 percent from beyond the three-point line. Bell was an All-SLIAC Honorable Mention choice last season, scoring 13.1 points per game after transferring from Carl Sandburg College. Kindred was also solid for EC last season, starting all but one contest and dishing out a team-best 70 assists.
Junior college transfer Ethan Neitzel (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln H.S./Lincoln College) will join incoming freshman Mark Lessen (Delavan, Ill./Delavan H.S.) as players that will likely make an immediate impact on the Eureka lineup. Sophomore guard Austin Nicholas (Manitou Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs H.S./Lamar CC) and junior guard Craig Black (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan H.S.) will provide depth as well.
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to make this trip,” Wilde said. “It’s a new experience for our team and a chance for us to play against new competition. I’m confident we’ll make the most of the tour and be even more prepared for the start of our regular season next month.”
NCAA schools are permitted one foreign tour every three years. Following the exhibition trip, Eureka will begin its 2009-2010 season on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Rockford at 7 p.m. Following visits to Eastern Illinois (Nov. 21, 6 p.m.) and Monmouth (Nov. 25, 7 p.m.), the Red Devils will open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, Nov. 28 against Concordia (Ill.) at 3 p.m.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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